London wins 2012 Olympics race

London, which last hosted sports biggest event in1948, will become the first city to host the games three times.

London, on Wednesday, won the race to host the 2012 Olympic Games, beating long-term favourite Paris at the finish line to secure one of sport’s greatest prizes. The result, broadcast live to television audiences around the world, was announced by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, in Singapore. Rogge opened the envelope containing the name of the winning bid at around 12:48 (BST) and told the hushed ballroom of the Raffles city complex: “The IOC has the honour of announcing the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London.”

London has crushed the dreams of Paris, winning the 2012 Olympics by just four votes in a tense final round against the city most thought would triumph.

Announcing the host city in Singapore last night, Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, said: “Only one of you can be the winner … the Games of the 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded to the city of London.”

London’s delegates in Singapore cheered and the thousands who had gathered in Trafalgar Square to watch the result live exploded on hearing their city’s name.

London’s bid chairman, the Olympic gold medallist Sebastian Coe, promised the 2012 Olympics would be “special”, while England football captain David Beckham, a delegate in Singapore, was “totally stunned. I just really can’t believe what’s happened.” Alongside Beckham Australia’s Cathy Freeman, also part of the London bid, said: “I just threw myself at someone. I was very, very happy.”

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COMlNG UP

JULY 2, SATURDAY

NatWest Tri-series cricket: This one-day tournament hasn’t been as one-sided as expected but it will be hosts England who take on Australia in the final at Lord’s. Catch this appetiser for the Ashes battle ahead. Live on ESPN at 15:13.

Formula One: After the shambles at the US Grand Prix, Fl will be looking to get its act together at the French Grand Prix. See who makes it to pole position. Live on Star Sports 16:27.

Wimbledon: Ladies Singles/Men’s and
Mixed Doubles final.
Live on Star Sports 18.00.

Fifa World Youth Championship:
See the stars of the future in action in the final of the Fifa World Youth C’ship. Live on ESPN 23:16.

JULY 3, SUNDAY
Formula One: Will it be Renault or Williams celebrating, or will Ferrari prove that there’s still life left in them? Catch the action from Magny Cours. Live on ESPN at 17:15.

Wimbledon: Action at the world’s greatest tennis event comes to a close. Men’s Singles/Ladies’ Doubles final. Live on Star Sports 18.00.

Tour de France: The most gruelling test of man gets under way. There is very little to beat this cycling race in sport. Will Lance Armstrong make it seven wins or will Ulrich and Co steal his thunder? Catch the action on Day One.
Live on Ten Sports 21.00

JULY 4, MONDAY

Tour de France: Catch the action on
Day Two.
Live on Ten Sports 18.15

JULY 5, TUESDAY
Tour de France: Catch the action on
Day Three.
Live on Ten Sports 18.15

JULY 6, WEDNESDAY

Tour de France
: Catch the action on Day Four.
Live on Ten Sports 18.15

JULY 7, THURSDAY
Tour de France: Catch the action on
Day Five.
Live on Ten Sports 18.15

NatWest Challenge: England and Australia face off in the first of a three-match one-day series. Live on ESPN at 15:13.

JULY 8, FRIDAY

Catch the action on bay Six.
Live on Ten Sports 18.15

SUM TOTAL

SOCCER

CONFEDERATIONS CUP:

June 29, Wednesday:
Final: Brazil 4 Argentina 1
3RD 4TH PLAYOFF:
Germany 4 Mexico 3

June 25, Saturday
Semifinals:
Brazil 3 Germany 2
Argentina 6 Mexico 5

WORLD YOUTH UNDER21
CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 25, Saturday:
Quarterfinals: Argentina 3
Spain 1; Nigeria 10 The
Netherlands 9

June 28, Tuesday:
Semifinals: Argentina 2 Brazil 1
Nigeria 3 Morocco 0

Golf

SMURFIT EUROPEAN OPEN

June 27, Monday:

Collated final totals (par 140, top 14 qualify): 132P Lawrie 65 67, S Khan 66 66
133 J Bickerton 67 66
134 R Coles 66 68, S Dyson 67 67, M Fraser 65 69, A Oldcorn 67 67, Peter Baker 64 70,1 Woosnam 66
68, A Forsyth 67 67;135 Patrik Sjoland 67 68, A Butterf ield 65 70, Robert Rock 68 67; 136 David Geall 68 68, Kenneth Ferrie 68 68, Henrik Stenson 65 71, JeanFrancois Lucquin 67 69, Tom Whitehouse 69 67; 137 Oliver Wilson 70 67, Gary Clark 70 67, Euan Little 69 68, Mark Roe 67 70, Garry Houston 65 72; 138 R McEvoy 70 68, G Bourdy (Fra) 69
69, P Archer 68 70, P Hedblom 71 67, R Sterne 70 68, G Emerson 71 67, Christian Cevaer 70 68;
139 A Coltart 69 70, C Gane 7168, S Hurd 68 71, R Chapman 66 73, Hennie Otto, Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa) 70 69, Jamie Spence 70 69, Michiel Bothnia (Rsa) 73 66, Rolf Muntz (Ned) 70 69, Simon Wakefield 67 72; 140 Maarten
Lafeber 72 68, N Colsaerts 68 72, Ian Garbutt 69 71, Ross Fisher 69 71, L Westerberg 7169, N Dougherty 67 73, S Kjeldsen 70 70, Michael Jonzon 73 67, Sam Little 7169, Robert Karlsson 69 71.

TENNIS

WIMBLEDON

June 28, Tuesday:

Women’s Singles quarters: A Mauresmo bt A Myskina 63 64, M Sharapova bt Nadia Petrova 76(86) 63, Venus Williams bt Mary Pierce 60 76, L Davenport bt S Kuznetsova 76(71) 63. Men’s Doubles R3: Bob Bryan and M Bryan bt D Hrbaty and M Mertinak 76(71) 64 76(72), Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi bt J Knowie and J Melzer 67(17) 46 63 64 63; Quarterfinals: S Huss and W Moodie bt M Knowles and M Llodra 64 64 64 Leander Paes and Nenad
Zimonjic bt K Beck and Jaroslav Levinsky 75 63 64;

Women’s Doubles R3: E Likhovtseva and V Zvonareva bt Marion Bartoli and Milagros Sequera 64 36 63, Nadia Petrova and M Shaughnessy bt Ana Ivanovic and Tina Krizan 6163.

June 29, Wednesday: Men’s singles quarters: R Federer bt F Gonzalez 75 62 76(72), L Hewitt bt F Lopez 75 64 76(72), T Johansson bt D Nalbandian 76 (75) 62 62, Andy Roddick bt S Grosjean 36 62 6136 63;

Mixed R3: Mahesh Bhupathi and Mary Pierce bt Martin Garcia and Mara Santangelo 63 76(75), Mariano Hood and Gisela Dulko bt Dominik Hrbaty and Elena Likhovtseva 62 61, Olivier Rochus and Kim Clijsters bt Mark Knowles and Venus Williams (USA) 36 63 75.

Federer Storms to His Third Final

Roger Federer swept into a third consecutive Wimbledon final with a comprehensive 6-3 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over world number two Lleyton Hewitt.

After all the chatter about change in tennis - about rising teenagers and Russians - it has turned out to be a throwback Wimbledon, and not just because of the rain that interrupted play on a regular basis this week.

Saturday’s women’s final will be a remake of the 2000 edition between Venus Williams and Lindsay Davenport. And the favorite to win the men’s final will be the same fluid fellow from Switzerland who won it the last two times.

Roger Federer was in full flow once again on Center Court today, showing the depth of his talent and self-belief against his now-favorite foil: Lleyton Hewitt. (more…)

Sri Lankan Cricket Board has intimated the BCCI of its decision not to introduce the new rules

The tri-series between India, Sri Lanka and West Indies will not be played under the new rules for ODI matches announced recently by the International Cricket Council.

The Sri Lankan Cricket Board has intimated the BCCI of its decision not to introduce the new rules for the seven ODIs to be played in the tournament starting from July 30.

Confirming this here, BCCI joint secretary Gautam Dasgupta today said, “We have received a letter from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board in this regard.

“It is the prerogative of the hosts to decide on this matter.” He added that the BCCI had no problem with the decision of Sri Lanka to stick to the old rules.

The new rules, which will come into effect from July 30, allows every team to make one substitution during the game and has 20 overs of fielding restrictions instead of 15.

India crawl in through back door

Till late Thursday evening there was an air of suspended disbelief in cricketing circles in India. On Wednesday night the ICC issued a statement from Dublin, saying that the Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in India next year, will have an all-new eight-team format.

According to this, the top six ODI teams in the world rankings as of April 1, 2006 will qualify. The remaining two spots will be fought for among teams ranked seven to 10, in a qualifying event.

The shocker was this. Currently (and for the past year or so) India have moved between seventh and eighth in the rankings. This meant that unless there was a dramatic turnaround in India’s form this year, they would not have qualified directly.

They would have to go through the embarrassment of having to qualify for a tournament on home ground. And of course, this being one-day cricket where Bangladesh have beaten India and Australia, there’s no predicting what could happen.

For a long time, the ICC spokespersons could not be contacted. Finally, late on Thursday, the ICC’s Mark Harrison, after seeming initially stumped himself, clarified to HT that it would be the “host country plus five top teams”, with the next four fighting it out for the remaining two spots.

India can rest easy then. Even if they continue their abysmal performance of last season, they are assured of a back-door entry to the Champions Trophy.

Japan has been upgraded to associate member status of the International Cricket Council, in a boost for the ICC’s East Asia-Pacific (EAP) Development Program, the EAP said here Thursday.

Japan, who received their ratification at this week’s ICC annual conference in London, join new affiliate members Jersey, Guernsey, Mali and Slovenia, taking the total membership of the ICC to 96 countries.

Japan, an affiliate ICC member since 1989, join Fiji and Papua New Guinea as associate members of the ICC EAP region, the EAP said in a statement.

The region also has seven ICC affiliate members including Indonesia, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Tonga, South Korea and Philippines.

There are now 915 senior and 2,896 junior players playing in organised cricket activities in Japan with 22 grounds used for regular competition including a facility at the base of Mt Fuji, the EAP said.

ICC EAP Regional Development Manager Tim Anderson welcomed the approval of Japan as an associate member.

“The ICC EAP Development Program is excited about working with the Japan Cricket Association as it now takes the development of cricket in Japan to the next level.”

From September 23 to 29 Japan will be competing against Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Indonesia and tournament hosts Vanuatu in the 2005 EAP Cricket Cup, a regional component of the ICCs World Cup qualifying series.